Previously, I have shared articles on where to get free Photoshop brushes that works. Some of our readers have requested me to write an article on how to install the free Photoshop brushes that they have downloaded after reading my articles. So in this article, I will go through three methods by which you can install the brushes into Photoshop.
In case you have not read my previous articles on free Photoshop brushes, here are the links:
- 20 Free Photoshop Brushes That Work
- 10 Photoshop Cloud Brushes
- 11 Free Photoshop Grunge Brushes
- 12 Photoshop Fractal Brush
Method 1
Select the Brush Tool from the Tools Palette or access it with the shortcut tool by pressing the letter B on your keyboard.
Next, open the Brush Preset Picker, located near the top left hand corner of the Photoshop interface.
Now, select the little gear on the right upper corner of the Option Menu.
In the popup dialog box, navigate to where your brushes are stored. Double-click on the .abr file and you are now ready to use the new brushes in your artworks.
If you are unable to find the new brushes, try scrolling to the end of the brush palette. Newly loaded brushes are arranged at the back.
Method 2
To begin, go to Edit and select Preset > Preset Manager….

On the popup Preset Manager, select Load.
Now, select the .abr file that you want to use in your artworks.
Method 3
For method 3, you have to go to Window and select Brush Presets.
The Brush Presets palette will appear on the right-hand side of the Photoshop interface. Next, select the small arrow as indicated in the image below.
Locate Load Brushes….
And choose the .abr file that you want.
The newly loaded brush will appear at the end of the Brush Preset Palette.
And that is it! Three different methods for installing brushes in Photoshop! Good luck and have fun exploring the wonders of Photoshop.